• Home
  • News
    • Politics / Govt
    • Legislature
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
    • Archives
  • Sports
    • Badgers
    • Packers
      • Titletown Report
    • Brewers
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support

Wisconsin Radio Network

Wisconsin News and Sports

You are here: Home / Health / Medicine / State helping dispose of old drugs

State helping dispose of old drugs

September 25, 2012 By Andrew Beckett

Residents across the state are being reminded to safely dispose of old and unwanted medications.

The Department of Natural Resources is helping with a push for unused or expired medications to be turned in at special collection sites. Medical waste coordinator Barb Bickford says they can contaminate water supplies if people just flush them down the toilet or throw them in the garbage.

Accidental poisonings are a risk when the drugs are kept at home and there’s also the potential for individuals to abuse those medications. Bickford says prescription pain killers are a growing gateway drug for addicts, with users often graduating to heroin.

The Department of Justice and Federal Drug Enforcement Agency are hosting take-back events this coming Saturday at more than 130 locations across the state. There are also permanent collection sites located in 52 Wisconsin counties. All drugs are taken out of state and are incinerated.

Bickford says it can be surprising how many old medications you may have around the house. A similar campaign this past April collected almost 19 tons of old medications.

AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (1:14)

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, News



Featured Stories

House passed gun purchase background check bills last year with no support from Wisconsin Republicans

Future of abortion in Wisconsin hinges on SCOTUS ‘Roe’ decision

Juvenile arrested in connection with death of Lily Peters

Missing Chippewa Falls girl found dead, police seek suspect

Medical marijuana legislation gets public hearing at Capitol

TwitterFacebook

Sports Headlines

Giannis breaks franchise scoring record, Bucks beat Nets in OT

Wisconsin’s Davis declares for NBA Draft

Badgers to face Arizona State in Las Vegas Bowl

Williams likely out for the season with broken hand

Packers releasing TE Jace Sternberger

More Sports

Tweets by @WRN

Get our news delivered to your inbox:

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Copyright © 2022 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC